PsyMate

The PsyMate® is a purpose-made device, facilitating the monitoring of daily life experience and behaviour (with far greater flexibility in the programming of various protocols relevant to daily life behaviour than PDA's). PsyMate® is a tool to apply momentary assessment technology to mental health practice. It can be programmed to generate beeps at unpredictable moments of the day and participants use a touch screen to fill out small questionnaires on current mood state, social context and activities in response to a beep signal. Furthermore, it is small, can store all data and additionally can be programmed to become interactive (i.e. respond to the input of the subject). Also, it allows for provision of immediate feedback to subjects as data are immediately stored, and can be analysed automatically for graphical display and calculation of important quantitative clinical parameters. It is suitable for long-term monitoring, since it requires less subject timeinvestment than any paper-and-pencil method.

Momentary assessment

Momentary assessment methodology includes multiple repeated (within-subject) mini-measurements of experience (mood, motivation, salience, self-esteem, stress) and context (stressors, situations, activities) at unselected random moments in the flow of daily life. Within-subject data provide mental health professionals with the opportunity to follow intra-individual changes in relation to in-the-moment daily life situations and experiences. Momentary assessments reveal subtle repetitive and relevant patterns of experience in response to environmental and mental challenges that are not picked up by retrospective questionnaires or even interviews. To have the film rather than a snapshot of daily life uncovers important mechanisms and processes involved in the assessment and treatment of mental disorders.

This is a preliminary website. The extended version should be here to see soon.